Sports
Wednesday, January 10, 1996 Page 7
—
Mitch Sherman
NU a memory
for pro-bound
Husker I-back
Lawrence Phillips made the right
decision.
Fulfilling the expectations of
many who have followed his ca
reer, Phillips, Nebraska’s maligned
I-back, announced Tuesday he
would never again play in a
Cornhusker uniform.
Phillips became the third Husker
I-back this decade to cut his college
football career short, opting for the
NFL. There, Phillips will find run
ning the football more difficult.
Life, however, will be easier.
What Phillips did in the early
morning of Sept. 10 was inexcus
able. What happened in the next
two and a half months must have
been unbearable — not only for
Phillips, but for Kate McEwen, her
family and her friends.
Phillips’ punishment did not
come from hiscoach,Tom Osborne.
It didn’t come from the university’s
administration. His punishment
came with daily blasts from seem
ingly every newspaper and sports
talk show in the nation.
Had he returned for his senior
year, Phillips would have spent the
season being referred to as the man
who attacked his former girlfriend,
not the amazingly talented running
back who helped Nebraska win its
second consecutive national cham
pionship.
Perhaps when Phillips is drafted
in April—possibly as a top 10 pick
— he can put his Nebraska career
behind him.
He might have already done that
on Jan. 2. As he exited the media
tent at Sun Devil Stadium, Phillips
did not look like a player who had
just won a national title.
“I’m through with interviews,”
he said.
Phillips was on campus Tues
day, but no press conference ac
companied his announcement.
In a release issued Monday by
Impact Sports and Entertainment
Management Company of Boca
Raton, Fla., Phillips said: “I know
that I made a mistake, which I deeply
regret. I believe I have learned and
grown as a result of it.”
If it is true that Phillips has
learned, then Osborne made the
right decision by bucking criticism
and reinstating him.
At Nebraska’s pre-bowl press
conference and again during the
Fiesta Bowl’s media day, Osborne
said Phillips probably had missed
out on thousands, if not millions, of
dollars by sitting out six games.
After his performance against
Florida, Phillips is unlikely to miss
out on anything.
This summer, he’ll be a million
aire. His Nebraska career will be
behind him. And that’s fine — as
long as it’s not forgotten.
Sherman Is a Junior news-editorial
- major and the Dally Nebraskan sports
editor.
K|r. cT
I Phillips opts to enter NFL draft
By Trevor Parks
Senior Reporter
Nebraska I-back Lawrence Phillips
announced Tuesday that he would
forego his senior season and apply for
the NFL draft in April.
Phillips, the fourth-ever
Cornhusker to leave school early, joins
Johnny Mitchell, Calvin Jones and
Derek Brown.
Frank Solich, Nebraska’s head as
sistant and running backs coach, said
it was difficult to compare Phillips to
Jones and Brown, both of whom are
Structure
of NCAA
may change
DALLAS (AP) — Everybody at
tending the NCAA’s 90th annual con
vention agreed they made history by
overwhelmingly voting to streamline
and realign the entire governing struc
ture of the governing body of college
sports.
And student-athletes may have fi
nally won a major battle.
“I think there will be a movement
to look at whether or not we’re realis
tic as it relates to the student-athlete
today,” said NCAA executive direc
tor Cedric Dempsey, who told del
egates in his convention-opening ad
dress on Sunday that the NCAA may
have fallen behind the times.
IssueSlike independent student-aid
will be better dealt with, said Wake
Forest president Thomas Hearn, a
leader in the presidential reform move
ment that began in the mid-’80s and
culminated Monday with the vote to
restructure.
The new structure sets up a three
tiered system with college presidents
clearly in command. It will have no
immediate bearing on the Final Four,
bowl games or television contracts.
But each division will now deal
separately from the others. No longer
will small schools have a voice along
side major schools in such things as
revenue distribution and policy-mak
ing.
“I don’t understand myself yet ex
actly what this means,” said Bob
Frederick, Kansas athletic director and
chairman of the selection committee
of the men’s basketball tournament. “I
don’t think it will have any effect on
the tournament. A lot of us don’t know
for sure what this means for the fu
ture.”
The new structure goes into effect
in August 1997.
Although a college football play
off is at least three years away, it is one
thing the new alignment might hasten.
Several officials said Division I-A
might soon add to the value of athletic
scholarships.
“Our rules were made at a time
when student-athletes had the whole
summer to work, and many had holi
days to work,” Dempsey said. “Those
opportunities have diminished con
siderably.
“At one time, the feeling was they
could work during holidays and three
months in the summer and earn enough
to supplement their financial aid pack
age. We may need to review that.”
Also at the convention, which ended
Tuesday:
• The Pac 10 and the Big Ten
began talks that could lead to their
involvement in the Bowl Alliance.
• a proposal was rejected that
would have allowed Division I-A foot
ball teams to count victories against
some I-AA teams toward the six wins
needed to qualify for the postseason.
A request for a second vote also failed.
still in the NFL.
“It has worked out for them,” Sol ich
said. “You always take a little bit of a
chance in terms of where you are go
ing in the draft.”
Phillips, who ended his career as
the fifth-leading rusher in Husker his
tory, was in Lincoln briefly on Tues
day, but soon will return to his home in
California. He could not be reached
for comment.
“He was here to solidify the fact
that he intended to enter the draft, so
See PHILLIPS on 8
leaving Early
Player Year Round Team
—BWW K§*; $988
Calvin Jones 1994 3rd Raiders
i§93 ': v. ••; 4th Wfl ■ . iKti:
Johnny Mitchell 1992 1st (15thpick) Jets
v . ... - ’ . _
Aiming high
Jay Calderon/DN
Nebraska senior gymnast Jason Christie practices on
the pommel horse. Christie hopes to compete in the
Olympic Games in August.
Coach foresees title
in Nebraska’s future
By Gregg Madsen
Staff Reporter
Entering his 27th year as the
Nebraska men’s gymnastics coach,
Francis Allen is confident that his
team can win its ninth national title
in school history this season.
“We’re a little banged up right
now, but I think we’re going to
make the finals of the NCAA,” Allen
said. “I think this team is going to
be in the driver’s seat.”
Gone are 1995 all-around cham
pion Richard Grace and five-time
All-American Rick KLeffer, but
Allen has reloaded with two out
standing athletes.
“We had to replace two great
gymnasts,” Allen said, “and I have
two very good ones that replaced
them. I think (we’re) better than last
, year’s team.”
Replacing Grace, now a gradu
ate assistant coach, and Kieffer will
be freshmen Marshall Nelson and
J.D. Reive, both from Palmer High
“We do not have a weak
event, and that's why I
think this team can win
the championship."
FRANCIS ALLEN
Nebraska men’s gymnastics
coach
School in Colorado Springs, Colo.
“If they improve, we’re going to
win the national championship,”
Allen said of the newcomers.
“They’re good ones. They’re as
good of gymnasts that we’ve had
here. J.D. may be one of the best
we’ve ever had.”
The Huskers will be anchored in
the all-around by senior Jason
Christie.
See GYM on l
NU ready
to begin
Big Eight
By Trevor Parks
Senior Reporter
For the Nebraska basketball team,
the real season starts tonight.
The 11-3 Comhuskers begin con
ference action playing host to Colo
rado, 5-6 and 0-1 in the Big Eight, at
7:05 p.m. at the Bob Devaney Sports
Center.
Coach Danny Nec
said his team was
ready to open con
ference play.
“The older play
ers have been look
ing forward to it,”
Nee said. “It turns
into basketball sea
j son now,anu mey are
"■ looking for the chal
Nee lenge.”
Tliat challenge comes from the Buf
faloes, who have struggled, losing three
straight games. Colorado is coming off
a 77-66 loss at Missouri and has not
won a game outside the Coors Event
Center in Boulder this season.
But the Huskers do face a team that
stunned them 80-74 last year in Lin
coln. That was the Buffaloes’ first win
at the Devancy Center since 1981, and
it broke a 28-game conference road
losing streak. Overall, Nebraska was 2
5 at home last year against Big Eight
foes.
The Huskers have won three of their
last four con ference openers with some
success on the road, but have not won a
conference opener at home since 1988.
Last season, Nebraska got offto a rough
start, losing to Missouri 82-74 at home
in the conference opener.
Although Nebraska has won seven
of its last 10 games against Colorado,
Nee said his team had had its problems
against Joe Harrington’s team.
“We’ve had trouble matching up
against them,” Nee said. “They have
, improved their personnel, and we have
not been overwhelming in our Big Eight
openers. I hope our players are ready to
play.”
One player who will need to be
ready to play for Nebraska is freshman
guard Tyronn Lue, who will be playing
in his first Big Eight contest.
Lue and standout Colorado fresh
man guard Chauncey Billups most likely
will take center stage along with Colo
rado forward Martice Moore, a transfer
from Georgia Tech.
Billups, a native of Denver, is
averaging 20.4 points per game along
with 5.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per
game. Moore, who was named the
Atlantic Coast Conference freshman
oftheyearin 1993, is averaging 13.5
points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
“Billups is the real deal,” Nee
said. “But he’s going to go through
what all freshmen go through with an
adjustment period.”
■ So far he hasn’t struggled, shoot
J See CU on 8
